Assembly for dispensing beverage

ABSTRACT

An assembly for dispensing a beverage includes a collapsible beverage container having an outlet with a connecting element; a pressure chamber configured to accommodate the beverage container and including a lid; a heat transfer system operable on the pressure chamber; a pressure source operable to provide a predetermined pressure to the interior of the pressure chamber; and a dispensing line connectable with the outlet of the beverage container so as to extend from the outlet through an opening in the lid to a dispensing tap. The beverage is dispensed by providing the predetermined pressure to the interior of the pressure chamber and the beverage container therein. As the dispensing line is opened at the dispensing tap, the beverage container collapses in response to the applied pressure, forcing the beverage into the dispensing line and out the tap without being supplied with or being in contact with any gas.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/063,504, filed on Mar. 25, 2010, which is thenational phase entry, under 35 U.S.C. §371(c), of co-pendingInternational Application No. PCT/DK2006/000440, filed Aug. 10, 2006,the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an assembly for dispensing beverage.

BACKGROUND ART

Large-volume carbonated beverages, such as draught beer, areconventionally delivered to the place of consumption in metal kegs thattypically hold a large volume of e.g. 25 litres. Such kegs are intendedfor expensive and elaborate dispensing assemblies comprising draughtbeer coolers, carbondioxide cartridges, etc., for cooling and dispensingthe beverage from the container. Such kegs and dispensing assemblies arewell known in the art.

The metal kegs are heavy, and thus difficult to handle, and causeexcessive transportation costs. Furthermore, metal kegs have highmanufacturing costs, and need to be collected for refilling aftercomplete or partial emptying.

A keg is reused several times before it is scrapped. Consequently, kegstravel long distances in their life-time and the heavier they are thehigher the transportation cost. Additionally, the consumption of draughtbeer is very sensitive to seasonal variation. Especially in summerperiods consumption is high, while in colder periods consumption is low.Therefore, to be able to meet the demand a large number of kegs must bein circulation causing storage of plenty of empty kegs during periods oflow consumption.

Another disadvantage of the known draught beer assemblies is that manyparts, which are in contact with the beverage, are reused and thereforerequire regular cleaning in order to keep the parts hygienically cleanand to prevent bacteria growth. The cleaning is time consuming and itmay be difficult to perform sufficiently thorough cleaning of all theparts. If the parts that are in contact with the beverage are notcleaned thoroughly it will influence the quality of the beverage.

To overcome some of these disadvantages beverage containers fordispensing assemblies produced in lighter, more flexible materials havebeen introduced. Plastic bags emptied by pressing out the contentmechanically, pneumatically or hydraulically have been tested, but aretoo fragile for most practical purposes.

Also dispensing from collapsible beverage bottles made of plasticsmaterials, e.g. PET, are known in the art. These bottles are emptied bycollapse of the bottle wall by application of mechanical, pneumatic orhydraulic pressure causing the content to be squeezed out. Such beveragebottles contain only small volumes, such as a few litres, and are notdirectly comparable to metal kegs, which hold a substantially largervolume of beverage. However, the collapsible bottles have a number ofadvantages over metal kegs in many aspects.

Plastic materials can be ground up, and the re-suiting granulate can beused in production of new plastics materials. The granulate takes uplittle space, thus eliminating the need for large storage. Since thebottles are lighter, they are easier to handle and involve smallertransportation costs. Plastic bottles can be made transparent to allowvisual inspection of the content or they can be dyed in any desiredcolor. When emptied the bottle is collapsed and will take up littlespace during transportation for recycling.

A dispensing assembly with a collapsible beverage bottle is for exampleknown from EP-Al-1 003 68 6. This apparatus constitutes an integrateddispensing device comprising a housing with a lid, sealing means, apressure source, a cooling device and a dispensing tap.

The dispensing apparatus has a complicated design, comprising a vastnumber of parts, the parts themselves being elaborate, costly devices.There is thus a need for providing an assembly for dispensing beveragewhich has a simple design and construction wherein beverage containers,even though being relatively heavy easily may be handled by a user.

Furthermore, the market for gourmet-type beverages, such as specialkinds of ale, pilsner and stout beers, steadily increases, therefore thedemand for these products as draught-beers also increases. This ispartly a consequence of the fact that ideal circumstances for suchproperties as pressure, temperature and foaming are more easily obtainedin a draught system as compared to serving beverages from bottles orcans. Thus, to achieve the optimal taste, aroma and texture of e.g. abeer, it is often necessary to serve the beer from a draught system. Asboth the number of gourmet beverage products and the customer demand forthese products increases, it becomes essential for establishments suchas restaurants, bars and pubs to offer a large variety of differentbeverages at the right quality. Thus, it is becoming increasingly morecommon for bars and pubs to offer a large number of different qualitydraught beverages in order to meet the demand of customers.

There is thus a need for providing professionals as well as privatepeople with a large selection of quality beverages. There is also a needfor providing these quality beverages in a form, which brings out thebest in the beverage and thus ensures high customer satisfaction. Thereis furthermore a constant need for reducing the costs of such qualityproducts as well as a need for increasing user-friendliness of systemsfor dispensing quality beverages.

Often the prior art devices for dispensing beverage have thedisadvantage that they need to be set up by professionals for deliveringthe quality beverage to the customer. The matter is that the beverageoften is being dispensed under influence from several exteriorparameters such as pressure, gasses, temperatures, etc., which may beimpossible for the user of the devices to handle, and in the case that adevice has been set up wrong the dispensed beverage will not exhibit theintended quality.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a remedy to theabove-mentioned disadvantages of the known techniques. It is morespecifically an objective of the present invention to provide a flexibleassembly for dispensing a beverage, which makes it possible, easy andinexpensive to dispense quality beverages to a customer. Summary of theInvention

The above objects, together with numerous other objects, advantages andfeatures, which will become evident from the below description, areaccomplished by a solution in accordance with the present invention byan assembly for dispensing a beverage, said assembly comprising

a heat transfer system, said heat transfer system being adapted toprovide cooling or heating to at least a pressure chamber;

said pressure chamber being adapted during use to accommodate a beveragecontainer, said beverage container being made of a collapsible materialand a connecting element being arranged at an outlet of the beveragecontainer;

said pressure chamber comprises a wall and a lid de-fining theaccommodation for the beverage container; said pressure chamber isfurthermore provided with a pressure source, said pressure source beingadapted to provide a predetermined pressure to the pressure chamber; and

during use of the assembly, a dispensing line is connected with anoutlet of said beverage container and extends from the outlet through anopening in the lid of the pressure chamber to a dispensing tap;

wherein the dispensing of beverage is carried out by providing thepredetermined pressure to the pressure chamber and as the dispensingline is being opened at the dispensing tap the pressure will apply apressure to the exterior of the beverage container, which will start tocollapse, whereby the beverage will be forced out of the beveragecontainer into the dispensing line and out at the dispensing tap withoutsaid beverage per se being supplied with or being in contact with anygas during the dispensing.

Hereby it is obtained that the beverage contained in the beveragecontainer may be dispensed without said beverage per se being suppliedwith or being in contact with any gas during the dispensing, so that thetaste, texture and feeling of the beverage after dispensing are asintended from the manufacturer of the beverage. It is also obtained thatthe assembly is in balance, i.e. the exterior parameters, which mayinfluence the beverage, are essentially eliminated to an imperceptiblelevel. Furthermore, it is obtained that the assembly is simple andflexible in construction as well as being easy to use and that it breakswith the long established mindset within the business both with whatconcerns the construction of the assemblies, the design, the logisticsof the beverage containers, as well as with the maintenance and serviceof the assemblies.

Additionally, an internationally recognized and commonly used taste testof a beverage dispensed from an assembly according to the presentinvention has shown that the beverage displays considerably improvedquality of taste when compared to beverages from previously knowndispensing assemblies (evaluation and rating by an expert panel ofoff-flavors of the beverages). The difference is very marked afterhaving had opened containers, e.g. beer kegs, in the assemblies for alonger period of time, such as 3-4 weeks. This means that the beveragebeing dispensed to the consumer is generally of an improved quality ascompared to beverage from known assemblies. Furthermore, the shelf lifeof an open beverage container in an assembly is considerably prolonged.Thus, even users having a relatively low turn over of beverage canemploy assemblies of the kind disclosed herein without having to discardhalf-full kegs due to the extremely limited shelf-life experienced withthe known systems (typically around one week).

In addition the heat transfer system may be a cooling system, saidcooling system may comprise a cooling unit such as a refrigerator.

Furthermore, ventilation means may be arranged for ventilating the airin the cooling unit.

The pressure chamber may be arranged as a cooling unit, which isexpedient when the pressure chamber is adapted to accommodate smallbeverage containers, for instance in connection with home dispensingdevices.

According to the invention the cooling of the cooling unit may beperformed by means of liquid cooling systems, gas cooling systems,Peltier cooling systems, or the like.

In expedient manner according to the invention a temperature sensor maybe arranged in connection with the cooling unit for measuring thetemperature of the cooling unit. Furthermore a control unit may bearranged for controlling the cooling of the cooling unit so that apredetermined temperature of the cooling unit and thereby of the contentof the beverage container can be obtained.

For minimizing the expenses for manufacturing the assembly the coolingunit may substantially be made in one piece by injection molding or bypunching. The cooling unit may be made of moldable materials, such asplastic, or of metal.

Advantageously, the cooling unit may be adapted to contain one or morebeverage container(s) for pre-cooling. The cooling unit may comprise adoor for closing off to the environment.

Also, for minimizing the expenses for manufacturing the assembly as wellas for creating a homogeneous pressure chamber the wall of the pressurechamber may substantially be made in one piece by injection molding orby punching. The wall of the pressure chamber is made of moldablematerials, such as plastic, or of metal.

According to the invention the lid may close off the pressure chamber.Advantageously, the lid may be detach-able from or pivotably attached tothe pressure chamber. In addition, the opening in the lid maysubstantially be at the center of the lid.

The lid may be closed to the chamber by closing means such as bythreading, by a bayonet closure or screw shackle lock.

According to the invention, the pressure chamber may be arranged to bepivotable so that access to the pressure chamber is facilitated. Forenabling this pivot means may be arranged at the top of the pressurechamber, at the bottom of the pressure chamber or at the middle of thepressure chamber.

In a preferred embodiment the pivot means may be arranged at the top ofthe pressure chamber so that the center of rotation of the pressurechamber is arranged at the top of the cooling unit so that when thepressure chamber is pivoted the pressure chamber will end in a highposition which provides an ergonomic working position for the user.

The center of rotation of the pressure chamber may be arranged at theback of the cooling unit, which provides for additional space or room inthe cooling unit in front of the pressure chamber.

Advantageously, the pressure chamber may have a first vertical positionwherein it is in a use position and a second horizontal position whereinit is in a loading/unloading position. The second horizontal position ofthe pressure chamber may expediently be at the top of the cooling unitwhereby ergonomic working positions for the user are obtained asmentioned above.

The pressure chamber may also comprise holding means for fixing thepressure chamber in a first position and a second position,respectively, so that the user is secured while handling the beveragecontainers.

Preferably, the pressure chamber may comprise means which enablepivoting of the pressure chamber between two positions so that pivotmovement and speed may be damped. In another embodiment of theinvention, the pressure chamber may be arranged to be slidable in avertical and/or a horizontal direction so that access to the pressurechamber is facilitated.

Slide means may be arranged at the top of the pressure chamber, at thebottom of the pressure chamber or at the middle of the pressure chamberin relation to the chosen embodiment of the pressure chamber.

According to the invention, the beverage container may be substantiallycompletely collapsed after use and said collapsed container beingnon-reusable as a container. The beverage container may be made ofplastics, particularly a polymer, such as PEN or PET or blended PET.Advantageously, the beverage container may be a multilayer constructioncomprising an oxygen barrier for preserving the beverage content of thecontainer. Also the beverage container may be tinted or dyed to create abarrier to light.

According to the invention, the beverage container may be containedinside a packaging box made of, for instance cardboard, before beingloaded into the pressure chamber. Hereby it is obtained that thepackaging box supports the beverage container. Furthermore the surfacesof the packaging box may be used to display the label or type of thebeverage.

The packaging box may comprise a bottom part, which is adapted tosupport the beverage container, and a top part, which is adapted to beremoved from the bottom part. This is expedient in the case where heavybeverage containers are to be handled due to the fact that they may betoo heavy to lift up the entire packaging box.

The top part may be removed before the beverage container and the bottompart is placed in the cooling unit for pre-cooling, which facilitatesbetter cooling because the packaging may have an isolating effect on thebeverage container and thereby on the content of the container.

Advantageously, the connecting element may be adapted for abutment withthe lid of the pressure chamber so that a sealing between the lid andbeverage container is obtained. For providing easier handling of thebeverage container during the filling of beverage the connecting elementmay comprise a membrane for sealing of the outlet of the beveragecontainer.

Optionally, a second membrane may be arranged as a part of theconnecting element. Such a second membrane may provide additionalsealing of the beverage container and may be preferable whenincorporating the beverage container into existing beverage dispensingsystems.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the connectingelement may comprise a piercer, said piercer being adapted to pierce themembrane when a predetermined pressure is obtained inside the pressurechamber. An inlet end of the dispensing line may be arranged inconnection with the piercer.

According to the invention, the inlet end of the dispensing line may beobliquely cut so that the oblique end of the dispensing line is adaptedto pierce the membrane when a predetermined pressure is obtained insidethe pressure chamber.

Advantageously, a sealing element may be arranged at the inside of thelid and the connecting element during use. The sealing element may be aring comprising a main part, a lip and a plurality of taps placed aroundthe main part with a mutual spacing on the opposite side of the lip.

In an embodiment according to the invention a valve may be arranged atthe outlet end of the dispensing line. The valve may be interchangeable.Furthermore, the interchangeable dispensing valve may be arranged at adownstream end of the dispensing line and is arranged in connection withinteraction means, said interaction means being adapted for affecting aspecific kind of beverage being dispensed, as to achieve abeverage-specific dispensing.

In another preferred embodiment the interaction means is an integralpart of the interchangeable valve. By the expression “the interactionmeans is an integral part of the interchangeable valve” is meant thatthe interaction means is constructed as a part of the valve and isinseparable from said valve. The matter is that the interaction means bybeing an integral part of the valve can easily be manufactured, suppliedand removed along with the valve.

In expedient manner according to the invention a tower may be arrangedin connection with the cooling unit. The dispensing tap may be arrangedat the tower.

Advantageously, the tower may have an outer wall defining an insidefirst channel between a first end and a second end of the tower, whereat least two channels are arranged in said first channel: a secondchannel for accommodating a dispensing line, and a third channel whichis in fluid communication with said second channel at the second end ofthe tower. The first channel may comprise isolation material, such as agas, foam, or heat reflective material, for isolation of either thesecond channel, the third channel or both. In addition, the secondchannel and the third channel may extend a distance from the first endof the tower to the cooling unit, said channels being isolated alongthis distance. Moreover, the cooling system may comprise means forcooling of the dispensing line, such as by gas or liquid cooling.

Furthermore, the dispensing line may comprise at least two sections: afirst section having a length Li and an inner cross-sectional area Ai,and a second section downstream of said first section, having a lengthL2 and an inner cross-sectional area A2, where Ai is smaller than A2 sothat a pressure drop of the beverage flowing through the dispensing lineis obtained.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the dispensing line mayadvantageously be made of a polymer material and produced by coldrolling. The dispensing line may for instance be obtained by coldrolling of a polymer tube. The cold rolling method is usually onlyemployed for de-formation of metals and its application to polymermaterials yields both very surprising and beneficial effects. Bycontrolling the deformation rate of the material, e.g. a polymer tube,specific properties of the dispensing line can be obtained. Forinstance, the finished dispensing line may be substantially free ofinternal stress, meaning that the polymer material of the dispensingline is substantially free of internal stress and thus considerably moredurable and flexible. This is a highly surprising and unexpectedadvantage of the production by cold rolling. The increased durabilityand flexibility of the material is particularly relevant for adispensing line that often has to be rolled up, manipulated and adjustedto fit various assemblies 1. The pressure applied to the polymermaterial during the cold rolling may vary according to the desired finalproperties of the dispensing line. For instance, the pressure appliedmay be in the range of about 100 to about 300 gigapascal (GPa). In aspecific embodiment the deformation pressure is about 200 GPa. The typeof polymer material used for a dispensing line produced by cold rollingmay vary, but particularly preferred materials are at least partiallycrystalline polymers, e.g. PE or PET. Particular advantages of producingthe dispensing line out of a polymer material include increasedflexibility as opposed to e.g. metal, easier and less costly productionas well as more convenient, environmental and inexpensive use of thedispensing line as a disposable part.

The invention is also new and inventive by providing a beveragecontainer made of a collapsible material and comprising a neck parthaving an outlet, a connecting element being arranged at the neck partof the beverage container, said connecting element comprising means forreceiving an inlet end of a dispensing line.

Preferably, the beverage container may be connected to a lid of apressure chamber by means of the connecting element, thereby obtaining asealing between the lid and beverage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention and its many advantages will be described in more detailbelow with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which forthe purpose of illustration show some non-limiting embodiments and inwhich

FIG. 1 shows in a front view an embodiment of an assembly for dispensingbeverage according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows in a side view another embodiment of an assembly fordispensing beverage according to the invention,

FIG. 3 shows in a side view the assembly of FIG. 2, wherein a top parthave been pivoted,

FIG. 4 shows in cross-sectional view from above the interior of theassembly of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 shows in the same view as FIG. 4 an additional beverage containerplaced in the assembly,

FIG. 6 shows in a side cross-sectional view a pressure chamber of theassembly shown in FIG. 1 in an operating position,

FIG. 7 shows in a side cross-sectional view a pressure chamber of theassembly shown in FIG. 1 in a loading position,

FIG. 8 shows in a side view a first embodiment of a beverage container,

FIG. 9 shows in a side view a second embodiment of a beverage container,

FIG. 10 shows a sectional view of a connecting element with a coiled updispensing line,

FIG. 11 shows a sectional view of a connecting element with a coiled updispensing line,

FIG. 12 shows in a detailed sectional view the inlet end of thedispensing placed in the connecting element and a piercer,

FIG. 13 shows an enlarged sectional view of the encircled area in FIG.11 and illustrates the placement of a sealing device between thebeverage container and the connecting element,

FIG. 14 shows in perspective the top side of the connecting element,

FIG. 15 shows in perspective the bottom side of the connecting element,

FIG. 16 shows in a side view the connecting element,

FIG. 17 shows in a top view the connecting element,

FIG. 18 shows in a bottom view the connecting element,

FIG. 19 shows a first side sectional view of the connecting element,

FIG. 20 shows a second side sectional view of the connecting element,

FIG. 21 shows an enlarged detailed sectional view of a part of theconnecting element,

FIG. 22 shows an enlarged sectional view of the encircled area in FIG.20,

FIG. 23 shows a side view of a fitting, which is adapted to attach thedispensing line to a valve or a connecting element,

FIG. 24 shows a cross-sectional view of the fitting shown in FIG. 23,

FIG. 25 shows a valve at the end of a dispensing line,

FIG. 26 shows a cross-sectional view of the valve shown in FIG. 25,

FIG. 27 shows a sealing element in a top view,

FIG. 28 shows a cross-sectional view of the sealing element shown inFIG. 27,

FIG. 29 shows a tower with a dispensing tap and a tap actuator,

FIG. 30 shows a side cross-sectional view of the tower shown in FIG. 29,

FIGS. 31-39 are a sequence of drawings showing the steps of preparingone embodiment of the assembly according to the invention fordispensing,

FIGS. 40-43 are a sequence of drawings showing the steps of preparing afilled beverage container for pre-cooling in the cooling unit,

FIG. 44 shows a rack for accommodating a plurality of pressure chambers,

FIGS. 45-48 shows embodiments of units comprising a plurality ofpressure chambers,

FIG. 49 shows a sectional view of part of a particular embodiment of aconnecting element, and

FIG. 50 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a dispensing valvewherein the interaction means is an integral part.

All the figures are highly schematic and not necessarily to scale, andthey show only parts which are necessary in order to elucidate theinvention, other parts being omitted or merely suggested.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 one embodiment of the assembly 1 according to the invention isshown schematically in a front view. In this embodiment the assembly 1comprises a heat transfer system (not shown). It is within the inventiveidea that the heat transfer system may be adapted to provide cooling orheating to at least a pressure chamber 2 of the assembly 1. The pressurechamber 2 is adapted during use to accommodate a beverage container (notshown), wherefore the heat transfer system is cooling or heating thebeverage contained inside the beverage container.

The beverage may be beer, soft drinks, wine, tea, coffee, or the like,thus, the assembly is adapted to provide the right cooling or heatingfor the specific beverage, so that when said beverage is being served ithas the right temperature for the consumer.

In the following description the heat transfer system will be explainedin connection with a cooling system; however, a heating system or acombination heating and cooling system may be within the inventive idea.

The assembly 1 shown in FIG. 1 further comprises a cooling unit 3 in theform of a refrigerator, wherein the pressure chamber 2 is contained. Thecooling unit 3 comprises, as a refrigerator, cooling elements as well asventilation means for circulating the cooled air inside the cooling unit3. These elements are hidden behind the ventilation gratings 4 shown inthe left side of the assembly 1. At the top right corner of the coolingchamber 3 is shown a display 5, which is adapted to indicate thetemperature of the cooling unit and thereby at what temperature thebeverage is supposed to be served. Obviously, if the beverage containerwhen placed in the pressure chamber has a considerable highertemperature than the desired dispensing temperature of the beverage, aperiod of time will pass before the right temperature is obtained forthe beverage.

For minimizing said period of time a so-called turbo-cooling is arrangedin connection with the cooling unit. A temperature sensor (not shown) isarranged in connection with the cooling unit for measuring thetemperature of the cooling unit. In case the temperature sensor measuresa temperature which is over a predetermined maximum temperature acontrol unit (not shown) is adapted to initiate the so-calledturbo-cooling so that the temperature of the cooling unit 3 quickly willreach the predetermined temperature for the specific beverage. Inconnection with the display 5 the predetermined temperature for aspecific beverage may be set.

In order to minimize this disadvantage, the cooling unit 3 is adapted toaccommodate an additional beverage container, which may be pre-cooled tothe predetermined temperature during the emptying of the beveragecontainer held in the pressure chamber 2, this is further described inconnection with FIGS. 4 and 5 below. However, there may be a raise intemperature when the new “hot” beverage container is placed in thecooling unit 3 for pre-cooling, in this instance the temperature sensormeasures the raise in the temperature and the turbo-cooling isinitiated. During tests of the assembly when placing a new “hot”beverage container in the cooling unit 3 for pre-cooling only a raise onabout 0.5° C.-1.0° C. of the temperature of the beverage container heldin the pressure chamber have been observed by using the turbo-coolingsystem. The turbo-cooling may also be initiated after loading/unloadingof the beverage containers in the pressure chamber, where the user hasaccess to the interior of the cooling unit via an opening, whichnormally is closed by a door 6. This may also be avoided by applying aseparation in the opening in the form of an air curtain.

In this embodiment the cooling system is using air and ventilationmeans, however, it is within the inventive idea that the cooling alsomay be performed by means of liquid cooling systems, gas coolingsystems, Peltier cooling systems, and the like, which will beappreciated by the skilled person.

The cooling unit 3 may substantially be made in one piece by injectionmolding or by punching. Advantageously, the cooling unit 3 may be madeof moldable materials, such as plastic, or of metal.

On the top of the cooling unit 3 a tower 7 is shown. The tower will beexplained in more detail in connection with FIGS. 29-30 below. The tower7 is in this embodiment of the assembly 1 placed directly at the top ofthe cooling unit, i.e. being an integrated part of the assembly. In thisembodiment, the assembly 1 may for instance be a stand-alone unit. Theouter surfaces of the cooling unit 3 may be adapted for receivingdecorations, labeling or advertising materials for the specific beveragebeing dispensed. The cooling unit 3 may be provided with wheels (notshown) for enabling transport of the assembly 1. Within the inventiveidea the tower 7 may also be separated from the cooling unit, however,still being connected with said cooling chamber. The matter is that theassembly 1 according to the invention may easily be incorporated intothe existing interior of an establishment which serves beverage, such asrestaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, and the like. This it due to the factthat the cooling unit 3 is very compact and small so that it easilycould be placed under a bar or a counter next to other refrigeratorswithout major construction wise and design wise alterations of existinginterior. Thus, the design of the establishment will be intact. In oneembodiment of the assembly 1 which is arranged to accommodate a 20 litrebeverage container in the pressure chamber as well as an additionalbeverage container for pre-cooling the width is 0.5 meter, the height is0.8 meter and the depth is 0.6 meter, which is very surprising for askilled person. Also, the tower 7 may be optionally placed on the bar orcounter and need not be supported by the assembly 1.

Furthermore, a plurality of assemblies 1 may be arranged in connectionwith each other thereby enabling dispensing of several differentbeverages. The assemblies 1 can function as individual assemblies, i.e.each having a cooling system, a pressure chamber, a pressure source, orthey may function as a unit for instance sharing the same cooling systemand pressure source. Within the inventive idea the cooling unit may belarger than the above-mentioned so that more than one pressure chamberis arranged in the cooling unit using the same pressure source. Herebyis obtained that different beverages may be dispensed from the sameassembly at the same time. Particular embodiments of a unit comprising aplurality of pressure chambers 2 is illustrated in FIGS. 45-48.

These units will be described further in connection with the figures.

In case that the assembly for dispensing beverage according to theinvention is used at an establishment where a large consumption ofbeverage takes place and thereby a need for pre-cooling of the beveragecontainers is present the pressure chamber 2 may be omitted from acooling unit 3 whereby the cooling unit 3 in question may be used forpre-cooling two beverage containers.

The pressure chamber 2 comprises a wall 8 and a lid 9 defining theaccommodation for the beverage container (not shown).

The pressure chamber 2 is furthermore provided with a pressure source(not shown), said pressure source being adapted to provide apredetermined pressure to the pressure chamber 2. Furthermore, apressure-controlling unit may be arranged in connection with saidpressure source and the pressure chamber 2.

The lid 9 in this embodiment is detachable from the pressure chamber 2;however, in other embodiments it may be pivotably attached to thepressure chamber. The lid 9 may be locked to the chamber by closingmeans, such as by threading, by a bayonet closure or screw shackle lockor the like. Furthermore, the lid 9 comprises an opening (not shown),which preferably substantially is at the center of the lid 9.

Furthermore, the assembly comprises means 12 for aligning the opening ofthe lid 9 with an opening 12 of a dispensing line channel 13 so that theopening of the lid 9 can be used as a guiding element for the dispensingline (not shown). The lid 9 and the opening of dispensing line channel13 may comprise connecting means, said connecting means beingcomplementary to each other and adapted to attaching the lid to saidopening of the dispensing line channel 13. Preferably, the connectionmeans are arranged for coaxial alignment of the opening of the lid 9with the opening of the dispensing line channel 13. The advantages withthis embodiment will be explained in detail in connection with FIGS.31-39 below.

The pressure chamber 2 is in FIG. 1 shown in an operating position,which in this embodiment is equal to a vertical orientation of saidpressure chamber 2. The lid 9 is placed at the bottom of the pressurechamber 2 and comprises a handle 10, which facilitates handling of thepressure chamber 2. A sequence of step, which may be performed forreplacing a beverage container in the pressure chamber, will beexplained in connection with FIGS. 31-39 below. Within the inventiveidea the pressure chamber 2 may also be accessible from the top, inwhich case the lid 9 as well is placed at the top of the pressurechamber. In this instance the beverage container is loaded into thepressure chamber with the opening upwards.

Advantageously, the wall of the pressure chamber substantially is madein one piece by injection molding or by punching. The wall of thepressure chamber may be made of moldable materials, such as plastic, orof metal.

The pressure chamber 2 is in this embodiment arranged pivotable so thataccess to the pressure chamber is facilitated. For enabling rotation ofthe pressure chamber 2 pivot means 11 is arranged at the top of thepressure chamber 2. The pivoting/rotation of the pressure chamber willbe explained in connection with FIGS. 6-7 below. Within the inventiveidea the pivot means may also be arranged at the middle or at the bottomof the pressure chamber.

By arranging the pivot means 11 at the top of the pressure chamber 2 itis obtained that the center of rotation of the pressure chamber 2 isplaced at the top of the cooling unit 3. When the center of rotation ofthe pressure chamber 2 at the same time is arranged at the back of thecooling unit 3 it is obtained that additional room is present in thecooling unit 3 when the pressure chamber 2 is in the use position, saidroom may be accommodated by an additional beverage container forpre-cooling as shown in FIG. 5. An additional advantage is that when thepressure chamber 2 is pivoted into a horizontal loading/unloadingposition it is placed at the top of the cooling unit 3 which facilitatesloading or unloading of beverage containers and provides a moreergonomic working position for the user of the assembly 1, this isespecially expedient due to the handling of the heavy beveragecontainers when these are filled.

According to another embodiment (not shown) of the assembly 1 thepressure chamber may be arranged to be slidable in a vertical and/or ahorizontal direction. Said slide means may be arranged at the top of thepressure chamber, at the bottom of the pressure chamber or at the middleof the pressure chamber. It is also within the inventive idea thatinstead of the lid of the pressure chamber providing access to theinside of the pressure chamber, the entire wall of the pressure chambermay be lifted off as a cover and thereby make access possible.

In the following different (not shown) examples of providing access tothe pressure chamber will be described.

In one example (not shown) the pressure chamber may be arranged to bepivotable at the bottom of the pressure chamber. In case a new beveragecontainer is to be loaded into the pressure chamber the pressure chamberis first tilted so that the top of the pressure chamber is locatedoutside the cooling unit. In this example the pressure chamber may besupported by a structure or jig for controlling and supporting thepressure chamber during the tilting. After the top of the pressurechamber is located outside the cooling unit the cover of the pressurechamber is lifted off. The cover is placed on the floor and an emptybeverage container is unloaded from the pressure chamber. Hereinafter anew, preferably pre-cooled beverage container is loaded into thepressure chamber and the cover is again put in place. The pressurechamber is then tilted in place.

In a second example (not shown), the pressure chamber is arranged on aslide placed at the bottom of the pressure chamber as mentioned above.In connection with the slide, which is adapted to move in and out of thecooling unit in a substantially horizontal direction, a vertical guidesystem is arranged. Preferably the guide system is moveable with saidslide. In case a new beverage container is to be loaded into thepressure chamber the pressure chamber is drawn out of the cooling uniton the slide. The cover of the pressure chamber is then lifted up on itsguide system. When the cover has reached a predetermined distance, i.e.a distance, which is large enough for a new beverage container to beplaced between the lifted cover and the bottom of the pressure chamber,the empty beverage container is removed and a new filled beveragecontainer, preferably pre-cooled, is placed at the bottom of thepressure chamber. Hereinafter, the cover moved in place and afterwardsthe slide with the newly loaded pressure chamber is moved back into thecooling unit. It should be mentioned that the guide system also maycomprise a horizontal guiding located a distance above the slide,whereon the cover may be placed and drawn away from the guide system,thereby providing additional space for the user during theunloading/loading of the beverage containers.

In a third example (not shown) the pressure chamber is placed on a slideat the bottom. In this example two bottoms of the pressure chamber arearranged next to each other with a vertical pole arranged between them.Furthermore, the cover of the pressure chamber is connected to the poleby means of a bearing, which is adapted to be slidable up and down saidpole. In case a new beverage container is to be loaded into the pressurechamber, the pressure chamber is drawn out of the cooling unit on theslide. The cover of the pressure chamber is then lifted up via the poleto a predetermined distance enabling unloading of the empty beveragecontainer. At the neighboring bottom a pre-cooled beverage container isplaced. The cover is then swung around the pole to the pre-cooledbeverage container and subsequently lowered over this beveragecontainer. A new beverage container for pre-cooling is then loaded intothe empty bottom. Finally, the slide is pushed back into the coolingunit.

In FIG. 2 is another embodiment of assembly 1′ according to theinvention shown in a side view. This embodiment illustrates a homedispensing assembly, wherein the pressure chamber (not shown) mayaccommodate a beverage container containing about 5 litre. The assembly1′ is here shown in a use position ready for dispensing the beverageinto a glass. Due to the compactness of this assembly 1′ the pressurechamber is arranged as also being the cooling unit. The cooling of thepressure chamber is in this embodiment carried out by a Peltier coolingsystem, however, other types of cooling may be applied. For dispensingbeverage a tap actuator 15 is arranged in connection with the outlet end16 of the dispensing line (not shown). The assembly 1′ comprises a toppart 17 and a bottom part 18.

FIG. 3 illustrates the assembly 1′ of FIG. 2 in a loading position. Inthis position, the top part 17 is pivoted away from the bottom part 18.When the top part 17 is pivoted the pressure source (not shown) isdisconnected from the pressure chamber, which is contained in the toppart 17. Subsequently, it is possible to open the pressure chamber andunload an empty beverage container and load a new filled one. Thisassembly 1′ is not arranged for accommodating an additional beveragecontainer for pre-cooling; however, the beverage container used to thisassembly 1′ is so small that it easily fits into existing refrigeratorsin a normal home.

Subsequently, the pressure chamber is closed and the top part 17 ispivoted back for connection with the bottom part 18 and thereby thepressure source immediately will start to build-up pressure in thepressure chamber to enable dispensing.

FIG. 4 shows in cross-sectional view from above the interior of theassembly 1 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 4, it is shown that the pressurechamber 2 is placed in the back of the cooling unit 3. The pressurechamber 2 in this embodiment is round for accommodating a round beveragecontainer 19. Within the inventive idea, the pressure chamber may haveother geometrically shapes, however, preferably a shape adapted to thecross-sectional shape of the beverage container.

Behind the pressure chamber 2 is supporting means shown for supportingthe pressure chamber, this will be explained further in connection withFIGS. 6 and 7. Due to the fact that the pressure chamber 2 is arrangedat the back of the cooling unit 3 there is room for an additionalbeverage container placed in front of the pressure chamber 2 as shown inFIG. 5.

FIG. 5 shows the additional beverage container 19′ placed in a packagingbox 20. Said packaging box 20 may be made of, for instance, cardboard.In a preferred embodiment the packaging box may comprise a bottom part,which is adapted to support the beverage container, and a top part,which is adapted to be removed from the bottom part. The top part may beremoved before the beverage container and the bottom part is placed inthe cooling unit for pre-cooling, thereby enabling that the packagingbox does not function as isolation for the beverage container. Herebythe pre-cooling time of the beverage container is reduced considerably.The packaging box 20 will be described further below in connection withFIGS. 40-43.

In FIG. 6 the pressure chamber 2 is shown in a cross-sectional side viewwith a beverage container 19 placed in the pressure chamber 2. Thebeverage container 19 is placed upside-down and the pressure chamber isin this vertical position ready for use. The beverage container 19comprises a connecting element 21 arranged at the outlet of the beveragecontainer 19. The connecting element 21 is adapted to abut the lid 9 ofthe pressure chamber 2 (during use) and to align the opening 22 of thelid 9 with the inlet end of the dispensing line (not shown) as well asto connect the inlet end of the dispensing line to the outlet of thebeverage container 19. The connecting element 21 will be explained indetail in connection with the FIGS. 10-22.

Outside the pressure chamber 2 in the cooling unit (not shown) issupporting means 23 arranged for supporting and fixating the pressurechamber 2 to the cooling unit. The supporting means 23 may be attachedto the back wall of the cooling unit at 24 and 25 of the supportingelement 23. The supporting means 23 is in this embodiment shown as alattice structure but may as well have other configurations and designs.

The supporting means 23 may be arranged on each side of the pressurechamber 2, and preferably the top end of the supporting means 23 isconnected to the pivot means 11. The lower end of the supporting means23 is connected to means 26, which enable pivoting of the pressurechamber 2 between two positions. The means 26 in this embodiment are gascylinders, which at the one end are connected to the supporting means 23and at the other end to the pressure chamber. These means 26 facilitatethe handling of the pressure chamber for the user when the pressurechamber is to be moved between the first position, i.e. the use positionand the second position, the unloading/loading position. The gascylinders 26 are also adapted to damp the speed of the pivoting, withoutwhich the means 26 may be too high due to the fact that the pressurechamber 2 has the rotation center at the end and that the pressurechamber 2 with a filled beverage container has a considerable inertia,which will be transferred to a high speed of rotation if the user or themeans 26 is not damping it. The means 26 may also be spring means orhydraulic cylinders.

In FIG. 7 is shown the pressure chamber 2 in the secondunloading/loading position, i.e. a horizontal position of the pressurechamber 2. In this position the gas cylinder 26 is shown in an extendedposition. The pressure chamber 2 may also comprise holding means (notshown) for fixating the pressure chamber 2 in the first position and thesecond position, respectively. When the pressure chamber 2 is at thesecond position, pressure releasing means (not shown) is arranged forreleasing the pressure from the pressure chamber 2 thereby enabling thatthe lid 9 of the pressure chamber 2 may securely be removed.

In FIG. 8 is a 5-litre beverage container 19 according to the inventionshown. At the outlet end of the beverage container 19 the connectionelement 21 is arranged. This 5 litre beverage container 19 may be usedin connection with the assembly 1′ shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The beverage container 19 is preferably manufactured from plastic,particularly a polymer, such as PEN or PET, preferably blended PET.Thus, the beverage container 19 can be formed as a thin-walled,self-supporting structure that is suitable for collapsing when anexternal pressure is applied to the pressure chamber. The beveragecontainer 19 can be manufactured as a multilayer construction comprisingan oxygen barrier for preserving the beverage content of the beveragecontainer. Furthermore, the beverage container 19 can be tinted or dyedto create a barrier to light, in case the beverage quality is sensibleto light. Such a light barrier could be placed in the oxygen barrier.Other suitable processes are coating the beverage container 19, e.g.plasma coating the interior surface and/or epoxy-coating the exteriorsurface. The beverage container 19 preferably comprises five parts. Afirst part 27 which is the curved bottom of the beverage container 19; acurved second part 28; a third middle part 29, which preferably is notcurved; a curved fourth shoulder part 30 and a fifth neck part 31 havingthe outlet opening.

In FIG. 9 is another size of the beverage container 19 shown in asmaller scale than the one used in FIG. 8. This beverage container 19may contain 20 litre and may be used in the assembly 1 shown in FIG. 1.The difference between the beverage container shown in FIG. 8 and theone shown in FIG. 9 is that the third middle part 29 has a longerextension in the beverage container shown in FIG. 9, whereby the largervolume of the container is obtained. Preferably the other parts areidentical so that all elements used in connection with the beveragecontainers as well as the assembly are standardized, which facilitatesthe manufacturing and handling of the specific elements of the assembly.A further advantage is that the 5-litre beverage container may be usedin the assembly 1 shown in FIG. 1 when for instance a manufacturer ofbeverage is introducing a new beverage and the consumer first will wanta taste of the new beverage before placing a bigger order at themanufacturer.

The beverage containers 19 can be transported separately to the site offilling. Usually such beverage containers 19 are not blown to their fullsize until immediately before their filling with beverage. At theproduction site the beverage containers 19 are blown to their full size,the container 19 having a bottom part, a middle part with a generallycylindrical wall, a shoulder part and a neck part constituting an inletand outlet. After blowing the beverage container 19 into shape thecontainer 19 is filled with the desired beverage and closed by pressingthe connecting element 21 over the neck. Thus, the connecting element 21functions as capsule.

Preferably, the connection between the connecting element 21 and thebeverage container 19 is of such a nature that once the connectingelement 21 has been secured to the beverage container 19 it cannot beremoved without damaging the beverage container 19 and/or the connectingelement 21, thus providing a tamperproof container unit containingbeverage ready to be delivered to the place of consumption. Such aninseparable connection can be obtained in a variety of ways. Preferablythe connection is obtained by press fitting the connecting element 21over the neck of the beverage container 19, the neck and connectingelement 21 being provided with cooperating locking means, e.g. in theshape of taps/barbs and recesses/collars as indicated in FIGS. 11 and 13or any other kind of snap mechanism. Alternatively, the connectingelement 21 can be glued or welded to the neck of the beverage container19, or the connecting element 21 could be screwed onto the neck of thebeverage container 19, provided the thread is equipped with means forpreventing release of the connecting element 21.

A number of different factors and circumstances, all the way from thefilling of beverage containers to the dispensing of the beverage, mayplay significant roles in relation to the taste of the dispensedbeverage. Considering as an example beer, the filling procedure may playa role in the taste of the dispensed beverage. Preferably, the kegs aresupplied to the filling site as pre-forms of a polymer material asdescribed above. These pre-forms are transformed into finished kegs byexpansion with air pressure at the filling site. The kegs aredisposable, meaning that they are only used once and not cleaned andre-used like regular beer kegs. Thus, not only are the kegs new (i.e.never been used before) when being filled, they have also been made intotheir final form at the filling site and under the same highly hygienicand controlled conditions that apply to the filling process itself. Thiscertainly adds to the chances of avoiding contamination of the kegs andthe beverage, and thus increases the quality of the beer. The kegs areusually filled by use of a filling tube being inserted into the kegthrough the opening at the top of the keg. Beverage is then filled intothe keg from the bottom thereby gradually displacing the air inside thekeg as it fills up. Also the keg may be flushed with CO2 before filling.When the keg has been filled, the connecting element is placed over theopening of the keg, thus sealing the keg. At this point virtually no airis left inside the keg. This is an advantage since excess air inside thekeg may contribute to the deterioration of the taste and otherproperties of the beverage. By furthermore using an assembly thatcompresses the flexible polymer beverage container as it is beingemptied, no outside air enters the container after it has been opened,thus further preventing deterioration of the beverage due to air.Furthermore, the material of the keg may play a very significant role inconserving the properties of the beverage. The exact material of whichthe keg is made can certainly influence the beverage, for instance bypreventing or allowing diffusion of gasses through the keg, therebyinfluencing the level of various gasses inside the beverage, such asoxygen, carbondioxide and nitrogen. The diffusion or lack of diffusionof these gasses from or to the beer may affect the shelf-life, in openedor unopened form, of the keg. Other properties, such as the taste, aromaand foam formation may also be affected. It may furthermore bebeneficial to the properties of the beverage to employ disposabledispensing lines and valves. By using disposable parts risks ofcontamination of the beverage by unclean assemblies are minimized. Itmay often be both time-consuming and difficult to clean beveragedispensing assemblies, including dispensing lines and valves, properly.Disposable dispensing lines and valves are thus a great help to the userof the assembly and also ensures the customers against ill-keptassemblies and the resulting low quality beverage.

In FIG. 10 the connecting element 21 is shown in a cross-sectional sideview connected to the neck part 31 of the beverage container. In thisembodiment the dispensing line 32 is shown coiled up and placed insidethe connecting element 21. In connection with the dispensing line 32 adispensing valve 33 is arranged. Over the bottom of the connectionelement 21 a cover 34 is arranged for protecting the dispensing lineduring transportation. FIG. 12 is an enlarged area of the connectingelement 21 of FIG. 10 showing that the inlet end 35 of the dispensingline 32 is arranged in the connection element 21 at the piercer 36. Thepiercer 36 is adapted to pierce a membrane 37 during use, therebyproviding a fluid communication between the outlet of the beveragecontainer and the inlet 35 of the dispensing line 32. Around the inletend 35 of the dispensing line 32 an adaptor part 46 is arranged which isadapted to fit into corresponding receiving means 47 of the connectingelement 21 thereby attaching the dispensing line 32 to the connectingelement. Preferably, the connection is carried out by a press fitting.The receiving means 47 and the piercer 36 are arranged on a flexiblecollar 48.

FIG. 11 also shows the connecting element 21 in a cross-sectional sideview. The encircled area 38 is shown enlarged in FIG. 13 and illustratesin detail the connection between the neck of the beverage container andthe connecting element. Between the beverage container and theconnecting element a sealing ring 39 is arranged. The sealing ring 39avoids any leakage of beverage during normal use as well as sealing ofwhen mutual displacement of the beverage container and the connectingelement occur.

In FIG. 14 the connecting element 21 is shown in perspective from above.The connecting element 21 comprises a housing 41, a piercable closure,i.e. a membrane (not shown) for sealing the beverage container, lockingmeans 40 (c.f. FIG. 13) for inseparably and hermetically connecting theconnecting element 21 to the neck part of the beverage container,sealing means (not shown, however, is illustrated in FIG. 13) forhermetically sealing the beverage container to the connecting element 21and a hollow piercer 36 adapted for piercing the piercable closure.

Additionally, a second membrane may be arranged as a part of theconnecting element 21. This membrane may be made of a polymer material,such as PET, and may be an integral part of the connecting element 21.The second membrane may preferably be arranged outside the firstmembrane in relation to the inside of the beverage container, and maythus be the first membrane to be penetrated by the piercer. The piercermay optionally be adapted specifically for interaction with such asecond membrane. For instance, the piercer may be made of metal in orderto secure proper penetration of the membranes. FIG. 4 9 shows asectional view of a part of a connecting element 21. In FIG. 49 the partof the piercer pointing towards the membranes and the beverage containeris shown as being flat. This may be an advantageous form for a metalpiercer.

Furthermore, ribs 42 are arranged around a peripheral wall 43, said wall43 being adapted to bear the locking means 40 and abuts the outside ofthe neck of the beverage container when said container is connected tothe connecting element 21. The ribs 42 support the wall 43 and therebythe neck of the beverage container and secure that there is a rigidengagement between the connection element 21 and the neck of thebeverage container. It should be mentioned that when the connectingelement 21 is mounted on the beverage container, the connecting element21 is being used as a handle, thereby facilitating the handling of thecylindrical beverage container for the user. Therefore it is of majorimportance that the engagement between the beverage container and theconnecting element is as rigid as possible. Said ribs 42 mayfurthermore, extend up to the shoulder of the beverage container forsupporting this.

In FIG. 15 the connecting element 21 is shown in perspective from below.The housing 41 provides an annular room wherein the dispensing line maybe stored in a coiled up state as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Near thecenter of the connecting element 21 is an annular wall 45 arranged forprotecting the connection between the dispensing line and the connectingelement 21. The wall 45 also protects the collar 48.

FIGS. 16-18 show the connecting element 21 in a side view, a top viewand a bottom view, respectively.

FIGS. 19-20 show different cross-sectional side views of the connectingelement 21. FIG. 21 shows a detailed area of the collar 48 and the wall45 of FIG. 19. The encircled area 49 in FIG. 20 is shown enlarged inFIG. 22 and again show in detail the receiving means 47, the piercer 36arranged for piercing of the membrane 37 and the flexible collar 48.

Preferably the hollow piercer 36 has means for abutment on the lid,while the lid has corresponding abutment means. This allows the piercer36 to open the beverage container by piercing the sealed outletautomatically when the beverage container is forced downwards towardsthe lid of the pressure chamber, since the abutment with the lid forcesthe piercer 36 to move relative to the connecting element 21. The needto manually handle the opening of the beverage container before placingthe beverage container in the assembly 1, 1′ is thus avoided. Thepiercer 36 in the shown embodiment is made as an integrated part of theconnecting element 21. The piercer 36 is as described above providedwith the collar 48. The collar 48 may be provided with one or more slits(not shown) and is preferably constructed in the same material as theother parts of the piercer 36. The slits of the collar 48 provideresiliency to the collar 48, and causes the collar 48 to flex outwardswhen the piercer 36 is forced towards the beverage container to piercethe membrane 37.

The parts of the connecting element 21 are preferably made in a plasticmaterial such as PET, PE, PBT or PP. This allows for low constructioncosts, and further allows the parts to be grinded and recycled for newplastics products, e.g. new connecting elements. The seals can be gluedto the connecting element. The material for these seals/membranes cane.g. be a plastics, a plastics coated paper, paper, aluminum foil.

Furthermore, the structure of the connecting element 21 adapted forcooperation with the lid of the pressure chamber, allows the beveragecontainer when said connecting element being mounted on the neck of thebeverage container to stand upright with the outlet of the containerfacing downwards. The connecting element 21 allows the beveragecontainer to stand on the lid as well as on any other surface withoutany risk of damaging the outlet of the beverage container, since theouter wall of the connecting element extends beyond the neck part of thebeverage container.

Additionally, this leaves the upper end of the generally cylindricalcollapsible beverage container opposing the outlet end to be shaped in amanner for optimal collapsing performance.

The substantially flat connecting element 21 simplifies the installationof the beverage container in the pressure chamber considerably, sincethe beverage container need not be manoeuvred over the walls of thedispensing assembly as is the case with the prior art assemblies.Thereby the structure allows for easy placement of even large beveragecontainers.

In another not shown embodiment the hollow piercer may be omitted and bereplaced by an obliquely cut inlet end of the dispensing line. Thematter could be that the inlet end of the dispensing line extendsthrough the adaptor part 46, so that when the dispensing line isconnected to the connecting element 21 at the receiving means 47, theobliquely cut dispensing line end will also extend up through the collar48 and end at a predetermined distance from the membrane 37 to bepierced.

Furthermore, spring means may be arranged inside the pressure chamberfor facilitating the piercing of the membrane.

FIGS. 23 and 24 show the adaptor part 46 in a side view and across-sectional side view, respectively. The outer surface of theadaptor part 46 comprises an annular projection 50, which is adapted toengage with a corresponding annular groove in the receiving means 47 sothat a lock between the adaptor part and the receiving means isobtained. It should be mentioned that the lock is of such a nature thatthe adaptor part may be removed from the receiving means again by usinga predetermined force.

FIGS. 25 and 26 show the dispensing valve 33 in a perspective side viewand a cross-sectional side view, respectively. In FIG. 26 the outlet endof the dispensing line 32 is shown placed in the valve 33 by using thesame means for connection as in the inlet end of the dispensing line,i.e. an adaptor part 4 6 and corresponding receiving means 47 in thevalve 33. The connection between the dispensing line and the valve maybe a click attachment so that easy interchange of the valve is obtained.The dispensing valve 33 may be a standard in-line valve and may beinterchangeable.

The interchangeable dispensing valve may be arranged at a downstream endof the dispensing line and may be arranged in connection withinteraction means (not shown), said interaction means being adapted foraffecting a specific kind of beverage being dispensed, so as to achievea beverage-specific dispensing. FIG. 50 shows a sectional view of anembodiment of an interchangeable dispensing valve wherein theinteraction means is an integral part. The valve is seen from one endand the interaction means can be seen inside the valve. In thisparticular embodiment the interaction means is constructed by makingapertures in an integral part, e.g. a small plate, of the valve.Beverage flowing through the valve thus also passes through theseapertures. Having the interaction means as an integral part of the valvehas the advantage that the interaction means is automatically suppliedand removed along with the interchangeable valve. Thus, there is no riskof dropping or loosing the interaction means in the process of changingthe valve, and an old, and possibly contaminated, interaction means isnever mistakenly reused as part of the assembly 1 when the valve ischanged. Furthermore, when supplying the interchangeable valve alongwith, or possibly connected to, a beverage container, e.g. a beer keg,the right kind of interaction means to fit the beverage can always besupplied, thus making changes between different beverages easy and safefor the user. Additionally, constructing the interaction means as anintegral part of the valve eliminates the separate production of theinteraction means and thus makes production both easier and lessexpensive.

FIGS. 27 and 28 show a sealing element 51 in a top view and across-sectional side view taken by the line A-A in FIG. 27,respectively. 45. The sealing element 51 is arranged at the inside ofthe lid 9 and the connecting element 21 during use.

The sealing element 51 is formed as a ring and comprises a main part 52,an annular lip 53 and a plurality of taps 54 placed around the main part53 with a mutual spacing on the opposite side of the lip 53. During useof the assembly when the beverage container has been loaded into thepressure chamber and the pressure chamber is placed in the use position,i.e. the vertical position the beverage container, placed in upside downposition will start to move downwards against the lid of the pressurechamber. The connection element 21 will during this movement first comeinto contact with the lip 53 of the sealing element 51, whereby asealing is obtained and a pressure may be built up. The connectionelement 21 continues its movement towards the lid and will thereby pushthe lip 53 down towards main part 52 of the sealing element 51. As thepressure builds up in the pressure chamber the connecting element willbe forced towards the lid and the sealing element 51 will provide aproper sealing between the lid and connecting element. Furthermore, dueto the design of the sealing element 51, the sealing element 51 willeasily release from the connecting element when the beverage containeris removed from the pressure chamber. In addition, the sealing elementmay also have other geometrical configurations and designs such as beingcircular (e.g. an O-ring), square, elliptic, or any combination thereof,and being made of a material, which facilitates sealing such as rubbermaterials.

FIG. 29 shows an embodiment of a tower 7 comprising a dispensing tap 55,a tap actuator 15, a first end 56, and a second end 57. FIG. 30 shows across-sectional side view of the tower 7 of FIG. 29. The tower 7comprises a first channel 58, a second channel 59, and a third channel60. The walls of the channels 58-60 may be made of various materials orcombinations of materials, such as metal, plastic or rubber. The outerwalls of the first channel 58 may wholly or partially be the walls ofthe tower 7 as illustrated in FIG. 30. The second channel 59 and thethird channel 60 are illustrated as extending out of the tower 7 at itsfirst end 56. The second and third channels 59 and 60 are arrangedwithin the first channel 58. The second and third channels 59 and 60 mayeither, as shown, be juxtaposed, or arranged in some other manner, suchas with the second channel 59 arranged wholly or partially inside thethird channel 60. The first channel 58 may comprise isolation material(not shown) such as a gas, foam, or heat reflective material forisolating the second and third channels 59 and 60.

By providing a tower 7 having an outer wall 61 defining an inside firstchannel 58 between the first end 56 and the second end 57 of the tower7, where at least the two channels, 59, 60 are arranged in said firstchannel 58: the second channel 59 is arranged for accommodating thedispensing line (not shown), and the third channel 60 which is in fluidcommunication with said second channel 59 at the second end 57 of thetower 7 an efficient maintaining of cooling of the dispensing line inthe tower is obtained.

The second channel and the third channel may extend a distance from thefirst end of the tower 7 to the cooling unit and said channels may beisolated along this distance. This may improve maintaining of coolingand minimize energy loss, especially in systems with long dispensinglines.

The cooling system may comprise means for maintaining cooling of thedispensing line, such as by gas, liquid cooling and may comprise meansfor ventilation, such as a mechanical ventilator, for ventilating coolair through at least the second channel. Such ventilation means providefor easy circulation of air. Advantageously, cool air may be ventilatedthrough the second channel in a direction opposite to a flow directionof beverage in the dispensing line. Such counter-flow of cool airprovides for a very efficient cooling and ensures that the end of thedispensing line near the tap actuator is well cooled and thereby thebeverage contained in the dispensing line is maintained cool.

In another not shown embodiment the third channel may be omitted and thesecond channel may be arranged for heat-conduction cooling of thedispensing line. The second channel may comprise a mesh or net of wiresof a heat conductive material. Such a mesh or net is a simple andeffective manner to provide heat-conductive cooling.

In the following sequence of drawings showing the steps of preparing oneembodiment of the assembly 1 according to the invention for dispensingwill be described. More specifically, FIGS. 31 to 37 show the sequenceof steps carried out to remove a used and thereby collapsed beveragecontainer from the assembly 1 and FIGS. 38 and 39 show the loading andinstalling of a new beverage container in the assembly 1.

FIG. 31 shows step (a) wherein the cooling unit 3 is open, and it showsthe removal of the packaging box 20 containing a pre-cooled beveragecontainer 19 to allow access to the pressure chamber 2. FIG. 31 showsstep (b) wherein the pressure chamber 2 is brought from a verticaloperating position to a horizontal loading position by gripping thehandle 10 of the lid and pulling it outwards and upwards defining aslowly rotating motion due to the cylinders as explained in connectionwith FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 32 shows a pressure gauge 62 indicating the state of pressure andno pressure present in the pressure chamber 2. FIG. 32 further shows therelease of pressure through a pressure valve 63 on the lid 9 of thepressure chamber 2. The pressure system is controlled automatically,however, for safety and monitoring reasons it is provided with thepressure gauge 62 as shown in FIG. 32 in connection with the pressurechamber 2. If there is still a pressure in the pressure chamber 2,manual release can be carried out by opening of the safety valve 63 asillustrated in FIG. 32.

FIG. 33 shows the lid 9 of the pressure chamber 2 and illustrates theapplication of a slight pressure to the lid 9 to release the connectingelement of the beverage container (not shown) inside the pressurechamber 2 from the lid 9. It is furthermore easily deduced that thepressure chamber 2 is placed at the top of the cooling unit 3 therebyproviding ergonomic working conditions for the user.

FIG. 34 shows the lid 9 of the pressure chamber 2 and illustrates theunlocking and releasing of the lid 9 from the pressure chamber 2. In apreferred embodiment of the invention the lid 9 is rotated counterclockwise 360 degrees as shown in the figure.

FIG. 35 shows the cooling unit 3, pressure chamber 2 with a used andcollapsed beverage container 64 inside, the dispensing line channel 13,the lid 9 and a dispensing line 32. The lid 9 has been detached from thepressure chamber 2 and is lead along the dispensing line 32 to theopening 12 of the dispensing line channel 13 where the opening (notshown) of the lid 9 is aligned to the opening 12 of the dispensing linechannel 13. A slight pressure applied to the lid 9 activates a snapconnection attaching the lid 9 to the dispensing line channel 13.

FIG. 36 shows a view of the tower 7 as shown in FIGS. 1, 29 and 30 witha dispensing tap 55, a tap actuator 15 and a dispensing line 32 wherethe dispensing line 32 is released from the dispensing tap 55 on thetower 7.

In FIG. 37, step (a), it is shown how the dispensing line 32 isretracted from the dispensing line channel by gently pulling it outthrough the opening of the lid 9. FIG. 37, step (b) then illustrates howthe used and collapsed beverage container 64 is easily removed from thepressure chamber 2. It is easily deduced from FIG. 37 that the beveragecontainer 64 is substantially completely collapsed after use. Thecollapsed container 64 is therefore non-reusable and may be disposed.

FIG. 38 step a shows the release of a beverage container 19, preferablythe pre-cooled one from FIG. 31, from its packaging box 20. The beveragecontainer 19 is then inserted into the pressure chamber 2 as shown inFIG. 38 step b. In FIG. 38 step c the dispensing line 32 is guidedthrough the lid 9 and further through the dispensing line channel. Thedispensing line 32 emerges from the dispensing tap 55 and is locked intoa dispensing position as shown in FIG. 38 step d.

Corresponding to FIG. 35 the lid 9 is lead from the alignment with theend 12 of the dispensing line channel 13 along the dispensing line 32 tothe pressure chamber 2, closing the pressure chamber 2.

FIG. 39 step a illustrates the locking of the lid 9 to the pressurechamber 2 which is carried out by turning the lid 9 clock wise 360degrees. The proper locking of the lid 9 is confirmed as shown in FIG.39 step b, the pressure chamber 2 is then brought into position foroperation, as shown in FIG. 39 step c. To prevent clamping or squeezing,the dispensing line 32 is attached, preferably to the connection means12 of the dispensing line channel as shown in FIG. 39 step d.

In FIG. 40 a packaging box 20 is shown. The packaging box 20 may be madeof, for instance, cardboard and is adapted to house the filled beveragecontainer during transportation and storage. At the top of the packagingbox 20 handles 70 are arranged for easy handling of the box. At thelower part of the packaging box means 71 for separating the top partfrom the bottom part are shown. In FIG. 41 is shown how the user isseparating the parts by pulling a tear string around the circumferenceof the packaging box. Other separating means may be used such as forinstance perforated areas, which ease the separation.

In FIG. 42 the top part 72 is being lifted up over the beveragecontainer 19. The bottom part 73 is adapted to support the beveragecontainer 19 so that the beverage container can be placed in an uprightposition without tilting or tipping over. The bottom part 73 is adaptedto squeeze on the exterior of the beverage container so that the bottompart 73 not accidentally falls off when the beverage container is beingmoved without the top part. When top part 72 is removed the beveragecontainer 19 with the bottom part 73 may be placed in the cooling unit 3for pre-cooling as shown in FIG. 43. The handling of the beveragecontainer 19 may be performed by using the connecting element 21 as ahandle. By removing the top part of the packaging box it is avoided thatthe top part function as isolation for the beverage container. Herebythe pre-cooling time of the beverage container is reduced considerably.After the new beverage container 19 is placed in the cooling unit 3 forpre-cooling the door is closed and the assembly is ready for use.

FIGS. 45-48 show different numbers of pressure chambers 2 arranged incommon units. The pressure chambers 2 comprise lids 9 and may preferablybe arranged on a rack, e.g. as shown in FIG. 44, or some othersupporting means. Dispensing lines 32 connected to the beveragecontainers inside the pressure chambers may be led, optionally as abundle, e.g. through one or more dispensing line 32 channels or guidetubes, to a number of dispensing taps. Alternatively, the pressurechambers 2 may be prepared for interaction with some existing beveragedispensing system. For instance, adapter means may be arranged inconnection with the lids of the pressure chambers 2 in order to connectthese to an existing system of beverage lines. Such adapter means may beof any shape and material necessary for connecting the pressure chamber,and hence the beverage container, to the dispensing line. In this mannerseveral dispensing taps may be supplied with a number of differentbeverages from the same central unit of pressure chambers 2. The unit ofpressure chambers 2 may preferably share a common cooling unit 3, forinstance by being arranged inside a large cooling unit 3 or in someother sufficiently cold location, e.g. a cellar or large refrigerator.Furthermore, a unit comprising a plurality of pressure chambers 2 mayalso share a common pressure source.

According to an alternative embodiment (not shown) the dispensing line32 is separated from the system and thereby has both of its ends free,allowing for free selection of the order in which the dispensing line 32is connected to the dispensing tap 55 and beverage container 19 andguided through the lid 9 and the dispensing line channel 13. Forinstance, it could be that the dispensing line 32 is guided from thedispensing tap 55, through the dispensing line channel 13, through theopening of the lid 9 and to the beverage container 19 placed in the 5pressure chamber 2.

In an embodiment according to the invention a plurality of beveragecontainers may be arranged in the same pressure chamber. Hereby isobtained that the beverage containers may use the same pressure sourceand pressure for forcing the beverage out the beverage containers.

Each beverage container may be connected to a dispensing line, whichdispensing line is led to the dispensing tap as previously described. Inthis embodiment the plurality of dispensing lines are extending from thebeverage containers through the lid and to the dispensing tap(s). Withinthe inventive idea the dispensing lines may be opened separately or theymay be connected to the same dispensing tap and thereby being opened atthe same time. In the latter case it is possible to dispense twoseparate beverages into the same glass so that a blended beverage isobtained.

Even though the methods and assembly as well as the drawings disclose avalve 33 connected to the outlet end of the dispensing line 32 and thatsaid valve 33 is replaced with the dispensing line 32, it is within theinventive idea that the valve 33 also may be a separate valve which isnot replaced at the same time as the dispensing line 32. Thus, theoutlet end of the dispensing line 32 and the valve 33 may comprisecomplementary connection means, which may easily be separated, as shownin FIG. 26.

Furthermore, the outlet end of the dispensing line 32 (as well as theinlet end if not mounted in the beverage container) may comprise a cap,hood or cover (not shown) which may easily be removed after the guidingthrough the assembly 1, 1′ and just before the dispensing line 32 ismounted in the valve 33 and beverage container 19, respectively. Hereby,it is obtained that the interior of the dispensing line 32 is kept cleanand it is thereby avoided that the part, which comes in contact with thebeverage, is contaminated.

The valve 33 (if placed at the dispensing line 33 before the guidingthrough the assembly 1, 1′) may also comprise a cap, hood or cover forthe same reasons as mentioned above.

Furthermore, the dispensing line 32 (not shown) may comprise at leasttwo sections: a first section having a length Li and an innercross-sectional area Ai, and a second section downstream of said firstsection, having a length L2 and an inner cross-sectional area A2, whereAi is smaller than A2. The matter is, that due to the smaller innercross-sectional area Ai, the pressure of the beverage is reduced bypassing through the first section. The second section with the largercross-sectional area A2 may ensure that the beverage obtains flow- andfoam-formation properties suitable for dispensing. Such suitable flow-and foam-formation properties may depend upon the type of beverage beingdispensed and may also be affected by other parts of an assembly fordispensing beverage. This embodiment of the dispensing line isespecially expedient in connection with the assembly 1′ of FIG. 2.

Thus, by applying and using the above described assemblies 1, 1′ fordispensing beverage it is obtained:

-   -   that the beverage contained in the beverage container may be        dispensed without said beverage per se being supplied with or        being in contact with any gas during the dispensing, so that the        taste, texture and feeling of the beverage after dispensing are        as intended from the manufacturer of the beverage;    -   that the assembly is in balance, i.e. the exterior parameters        that may influence the beverage are essentially eliminated to an        imperceptible level;    -   that the assembly is simple and flexible in construction as well        as being easy to use and that it breaks with long established        mindsets within the business both concerning the construction of        the assemblies, the design, the logistics of the beverage        containers as well as the maintenance and the service of the        assemblies;    -   that the beverage containers are not reusable, and therefore do        not need to be transported back to the manufacturer of the        beverage for cleaning and refilling, thus providing a huge        advantage at areas where the consumption of beverage is low and        where the distance to the nearest manufacturer is long;    -   that the manufacturing of the assemblies is easy and        inexpensive; and    -   that loading and unloading of beverage containers in the        pressure chamber is facilitated so that ergonomic working        positions for the user is achieved.

Although the invention above has been described in connection withpreferred embodiments of the invention, it will be evident for a personskilled in the art that several modifications are conceivable withoutdeparting from the invention as defined by the following claims.

1-59. (canceled)
 60. A beverage container made of a collapsiblematerial, comprising a neck part having an outlet and a connectingelement at the neck part, the connecting element configured forreceiving an inlet end of a dispensing line.
 61. The beverage containerof claim 60, wherein the connecting element is configured to beconnectable to a lid of a pressure chamber in a manner that provides asealing between the lid and the beverage container.
 62. A beveragecontainer made of a collapsible material, comprising: a curved bottom; acylindrical wall connected to the curved bottom; a curved shoulderconnected to the cylindrical wall opposite the curved bottom; a neckpart centrally connected to the curved shoulder and having an outlet;and a connecting element at the outlet.
 63. The beverage containeraccording to claim 62, wherein the connecting element is configured forreceiving an inlet end of a dispensing line.
 64. The beverage containeraccording to claim 62, wherein the connecting element is configured isconfigured for connecting the beverage container to a lid of a pressurechamber in a manner that provides a sealing between the lid and thebeverage container.
 65. The beverage container according to claim 62,wherein the beverage container is a multilayer container.
 66. Thebeverage container according to claim 62, wherein the connecting elementis fixed to the beverage container so that the connecting element cannotbe removed from the beverage container without damaging at least one ofthe beverage container and the connecting element.
 67. The beveragecontainer according to claim 62, further comprising a curved second partbetween the curved bottom and the cylindrical wall.